I think I have at least one tire out of balance since I get some shaking at 50-55 mph - not much before and after that speed. But, I also know that I might need some bushings, etc. I don't know if I need an alignment or not.

Now for the question.

Should I trust my Jag to the local tire shop or go to a Jag dealership or find a Jag mechanic?

I would think that simple tire balancing could be entrusted to any tire expert. I can't imagine that replacing busings would be any more of a Jag specific process either. How about an alignment?

Just looking for some good, sage advice! Thanks!

Mike

 

I took mine to Discount Tire and went for the lifetime balance package. Two weeks later one of the fronts threw a weight so I had to return, but OK now. The casting is very rough on the inside and hard to clean. That probably was the problem. The dealer is just not convenient, plus their labor charge is just too high for simple stuff like wheel balance. I have had good luck in the past using Firestone for alignment, but not on the Jag yet.
RJ_________________
97 XK8 Conv 85K mi

 

Thanks, I think I'll stop somewhere tomorrow.

 

treadquarters has worked well for me

 

Would you let them replace bushings and/or do an alignment? I could do the bushings myself if (1) I had a bigger garage! and (2) it was so darn hot around here in the summer!

 

I have only received an alignment from them, the alignment was good. It really depends on the skill of the individual people working at these places and what they personally can manage to accomplish. The first time I went to tread quarters they mounted my new tires with the skills of a 3 year old kid. I had to use a real car dealership to get a proper wheel balance. I went to another tread quarters location a few months ago for new tires and an alignment, they did all the work perfectly fine.

 

So true!

Even if a repair shop has a good reputation you'll almost certainly find technicians employed there with different experience levels, varying degrees of thoroughness, etc. And, frankly, I doubt that most shops have their highest paid, most experienced techs standing in front of a wheel balancer all day long.

OTOH, if a shop specializes in nothig but wheels, tires and alignments one might expect that practice makes perfect and the number of flub-ups would be minimal.

But even life's day-to-day variables can spell trouble. If a technician leaves at 10:00AM with the stomach flu his workload will probably be redistributed among the others....who now have to scramble and rush to get all the work done on time....and therefore might not give every job the attention it deserves.

I rambling...sorry.

Cheers
DD

 

I stopped at a tire shop near my house, told them the front wheels needed balancing and there's a slow leak in the right rear tire. I walked home (three blocks!) and got a call about twenty minutes later telling me that they were done. The right front wheel was off by 1/4 oz, the left front by an ounce and a half, and there was a small screw in the right rear tire. $25 and she now rides as smooth as silk! No need for an alignment and the tires are in good shape. I feel like I won the lottery! LOL

One problem did crop up -- the center cap on the left front wheel was held on with some sticky stuff - looks like one or two (how many should there be?) of the tabs were broken off and the PO stuck it on with some black sticky gooey stuff. I left it off and now want to find a new one or figure out a better way to stick this one back on.

 

I'm not sure if this is an OEM factory part but I have used this company before: Welsh Enterprises - New Jaguar Parts, Used Jaguar Parts and Accessories - XK120 - XK140 - XK150 - E-Type - MK - XJ6 - XJ8 - XJ - XK8 - XK - XJS - S-Type - X-Type - XF

 

Thanks! I just placed the order. Will let you know if it works when I get it.

 

Much to my dismay, I noticed the shaking again -- this time it felt more like it was in the seat, so I figured it must be the rear tires. I took it back and had the rear tires balanced -- they were both off by over an ounce. I now (I think) have a nice smooth ride! I drove about 20 miles or so to test it and no more shaking at highway speeds.

While we had the car in the air (on the lift), we checked out the suspension and everything seems to be nice and tight, so I'm going to wait on replacing bushings, etc.

However, I did notice that I have some missing parts! I will start a new thread or find an old one to discuss these -- I'm missing the plastic shield under that connects to the bottom of the front bumper and one tube and the connecting pieces (both) for the brake coolers. I took the one tube off and put it in the trunk so I don't lose it, it was just hanging loose.

 

I received the center cap from Welsh - popped right on, looks GREAT! Thanks JaguarsXJR02 for the link to their site.

I also wanted to report that balancing the rear wheels took care of the shaking problem. I'm now running smooth and with the right tire pressure in all four tires! Which brings me to my next question -- when I said "correct tire pressure" I meant 38 front, 34 rear per the manual. Is that what everyone runs or can I go lower to soften the ride just a tad? 38/34 seem high to me, but what do I know!

Finally, I expect to get the majority of the missing parts tomorrow and Thursday -- can't wait!

 

Find someplace that has a Hunter Road Force Balance machine and let them do the job. Worked wonders on my 308 and cost $25 per wheel for a lifetime job at my local Goodyear. I will never use another balance method, its that good!

There was a Jaguar TSB about using Hunter to solve vibration problems.

Find a location here:Hunter GSP9700 Wheel vibration Control System solves wheel vibration and tire pull problems that balancers and aligners can't fix
Vector

 

the 38 rear 34 front is for 19" wheels @ 100mph motoring - Try the normal spec for comfort....32 front 34 rear, and they're very sensitive to pressures.

 

I will do that, thanks. I didn't see anywhere in the manual that 38/34 was for 19" wheels at 100MPH, but I'm willing to try the lower pressure to see if it smooths things out just a bit. I now feel almost every little bump in the road. I probably need to tend to the bushings at some point, but I don't have time for that right now, I'm going on a road trip starting this weekend and will put about 4k miles on the car in the next three weeks, mostly highway.